Winner Takes All
by sortasupersam
Summary: They can't even tell if it's severe hate with instances of love, or severe love with instances of hate. Either way, it's a lot of hurting in order to avoid hurting. Levi/Mikasa.
1. Chapter 1

_Take my hand, take my whole life, too._

_For I can't help falling in love with you._

—_Elvis Presley_

* * *

**Many Years Prior**

It was the dripping, really, that had Levi at his wit's end. That same hollow noise breaking the silence at intervals of ten—maybe fifteen?—seconds.

But in the grand scheme of things, the dripping could be considered the least of his problems at this given moment. Arms were together at the base of his spine, twine keeping his wrists firmly bound to the seat he was in. The rope barely had even a millimeter of slack, his wrists numbing to a shade of purple, skin rubbed raw with every shift of his weight.

Levi's eyelashes brushed against the blindfold around his head, concealing his sight from his surroundings. He had no idea where he was—he had been blindfolded since the night prior. His bladder had yet to reach its tipping point, but he knew that time would come. He would also consider himself hungry, since his last morsel of anything was long in the past, but the anxious adrenaline kept nourishment from his top priority. Sleep was unfathomable in this situation.

He pressed on regardless, trying not to let an inch of discomfort show anywhere on his body. His mouth never frowned, his lips held steady and relaxed. Levi tried not to move his head too much, and when he did, he forced himself to maintain control and move slowly. The last thing he needed was to be on display, with jerking head movements revealing fear every time a noise was made. Silence was his only comfort in this situation—silence meant no intrusion, which meant no immediate danger. But he didn't even let that get to him. Memories of songs, conversations, _anything _rang within his ears to overcome such a lack of sound, aside for that fucking _dripping_.

Patience was of the essence. Solitary confinement was a nasty rumor on the streets—he always overheard the shop-owning women whisper about how that's how the neighbor's boy killed himself. The Military Police, instead of the common execution, would subject the criminals to the punishment. These prisoners would go insane—in every literal sense of the word—from going days, weeks, months, even _years_ without seeing or speaking to another human life form.

And Levi kept reminding himself that he was alone as a form of intimidation, not imprisonment. They needed Levi for whatever reason, and this was only a tactic used to increase the likeliness of him succumbing into their whims. So Levi could do nothing but remind himself to breath deeply, stay calm.

Even when he heard a door open, or when the footsteps were getting closer and closer.

He stayed calm.

Those footsteps belonged to someone powerful, someone physically strong.

Calm.

Levi felt the electricity radiating from another human, tingling his own skin. And when he felt ice-cold fingertips barely grazing the surface of his cheeks, he sank his teeth into his tongue to keep from revealing even a twitch of fear. He also knew not to say a single thing until the other did, even if that meant he'd be tied here longer. Levi was tasting blood by this point.

"You're just a kid, aren't you?"

A man's voice, deep and almost surprised. Maybe disappointed. Levi struggled to keep his breathing relaxed, and he hoped that if he tried to speak, his voice would not stutter, would not even deviate into any tone that wasn't flat and even. Not risking that chance, he decided to keep his answers too short to reveal any sort of inflection. "I am."

"No, you're actually a child. From what I've heard about you, I expected someone _at least _sixteen. You couldn't be any older than ten."

"Fourteen."

"Well, I digress," The man took a moment, probably trying to arrange his words in a way that would yield the maximum effect on Levi. "I'll bet you're wondering why you're here."

Levi knew he had to feign nonchalance. "I am."

The next question was immediate. "Are you scared?"

"I am not."

"Very good," Levi's skin was searing under the touch of icy hands. Then the blindfold was gone. "I think we'd benefit if I introduced myself."

The room was almost as dark as behind the blindfold. Levi could make out a slight silhouette of someone tall and young. Strong. Blond.

"My name is Erwin, and don't you worry. I'm not much older than you. In fact, I guess you could call us both kids. And kids need to stick together, don't they?"

Levi, eyes naturally narrowed, squinted just slightly. "Like glue."

"I will keep this frank, actually. I'm a busy man, I'd hate to waste my time."

"You just said you were a kid."

"Oh, we have a sassy one," Erwin's wide eyes, an innocent shade of blue, were shadowed with dark deviance. "Levi, I'll say this once, and once only. If you have any intention of staying alive after this conversation, you'll take me up on this offer."

He couldn't show fear, and even if he could, he wouldn't. "Good thing I have nowhere else to be."

"You've made a lot of people angry in your lifetime, Levi. And, sorry to say, I am one of them. You're only fourteen and you've stolen a lot of my stuff and killed a lot of my men. What do you have to say for that?"

Erwin was nearly peaceful with his voice. Levi licked his lips, cocked his head to one side, just so slightly that it was naked to the human eye. "My condolences."

"I'd have every right to kill you right here, and I'd derive satisfaction. Even if you were just a kid helplessly tied down to a chair. I'd enjoy your death because of all the trouble you've caused me lately."

Those were heavy words to arouse fear. Levi could sense the bluffing. Erwin said there would be an offer, and until he revealed what it was, Levi would be kept alive. And therefore safe for the time being.

He stayed calm.

"So I will ask you this once, and I do expect an immediate answer. Let's both hope it's the right one. For your sake, Levi."

Calm.

"Even in crossing myself and the subordinates I control, you demonstrate a level of skill, and you're still young. I could refine those skills and make you an impossible enemy to whomever you'd wish. But that means you'd work for me now. I'd own you and everything you will ever become. And if that doesn't sound appealing, then I hope you become ready for death in the next ten seconds. Because that's all you have left."

Levi said nothing, nor did Erwin. The moments passed by, enough time to constitute time being wasted.

"How does that sound, Levi? Join me."

He looked up into the eyes of this man, the man who held Levi's life so glaringly on the line. And Levi took it all in, he soaked up Erwin's confidence and power. He relished the last moments of his life because there was no way in hell he'd work for anybody.

Levi was alone in this world, and he'd die that way.

For the first time in his life, it seemed, Levi tilted a corner of his mouth upward. "Kill me."

* * *

**No Longer Many Years Prior**

It was far past closing time, all of his employees were long ago tucked into their beds. But he had an empire to run, money to count, asses to cover. He was alone in this building he owned, in the city he owned, occupied by people he owned.

The night hang heavily in the air. His coal-shoveling workers had been off the clock for hours now, so he had no choice but to hasten his steps past the dark and into the carriage waiting to take him safely to his home.

He wished he'd carry a lantern more often. Or make one of the laborers stay to shovel coal to make enough gas to provide the proper flames needed to illuminate his path. Until then, he had to combat this darkness, including whatever it'd bring.

He then stops in his tracks, takes a moment to regain composure. He had no idea why his imagination was getting the best of him. There was nothing to fear about the dark. Ghouls weren't hiding around the corners, titans were far outside the walls, and there wasn't a human soul in this city that would dare cross him. He was powerful both economically and politically, which was the right combination to control those that were the physically powerful. No one could hurt him, because not only did he own everyone who possibly could, but he could send them to teach a lesson to anyone who was new to the rules of his city.

Untouchable was what he called himself. And he was, so there was no reason to think that he wouldn't be safe, dark or not.

But it _was _hard to see past a few feet in front of him.

And what was that sound? Was somebody actually there? Who was that in the distance?

It was a woman, or maybe it was a hallucination bred from his own mind. He had been having trouble sleeping lately, maybe his nerves were just rubbed raw from exhaustion.

No, it really was a woman.

A familiar one, actually. It couldn't be his wife. She never bothered him while he was at work. It was a nice surprise, actually. To have company in this darkness he wasn't supposed to be afraid of.

She wasn't saying anything. Maybe she was just as spooked as he was, maybe she saw him and was hesitant it was her husband she was looking at.

Was she...floating? Why weren't her feet on the ground?

As he inched closer, he could make out more than just her body. He saw the rope above her head, snugly fit around her neck, eyes wide open revealing the life lost.

"Oh—Oh god!"

He was trying not to scream, but he couldn't move past his dead wife's body. He couldn't _touch _it. How did she even get here? Was this of her own doing? There was no stool around she could've gained leverage from. But it had to be just her. It _needed _ to be. Because he could deal with his wife's suicide in the light of day. He couldn't even think that there was someone in this building that put her there.

Because that would mean that he wasn't alone.

Levi knew he wasn't alone, because he watched with boredom as this scene unfolded beneath him. He balanced on a wooden beam that gave enough height to stand erect under the vaulted hallway ceilings, and his night vision was naturally impeccable, his irises tracking each and every twitch of this filthy, fat businessman screaming for someone to reveal his or herself.

And Levi decided to be nice and give the man exactly what he wanted.

So in one swift leap down to the ground, Levi landed only a few feet away from the man. He was near tears and Levi wanted to outright scoff at such a display of weakness.

"Who's there?" The man was waving the briefcase as a makeshift weapon. "I'm a very powerful man who could have you killed in an instant!"

Levi said nothing.

"What is it do you want? Money?"

Still not a sound from Levi.

"You've already killed my wife and I'll be sure to make you pay! You disgusting, despicable cretin! She's not the one with the money, she was completely innocent! You sick bastard had to drag her into this! Why would you do this to her, you shit scum?"

"Don't flatter yourself, you fat pig," Levi moved forward, watching the man leap in fear. He dropped to the ground, backing away with every step closer Levi took. _"You _did this to her. Don't put this on us._"_

"How dare you say it was my fault! Who are you? I'll let you know that you won't survive another day after this! You just upset the most powerful man in the city!"

"That is partially why I came here today. I came to deliver a message from my boss." Levi unsheathed a sword, placing the tip just above the man's Adam's apple. Not enough pressure to puncture, just a delicate reminder of who had the control in this situation. "He just wanted to let you know that you're no longer the most powerful man, because he came to town, decided he liked it, and that he thinks he'll be here a while."

"So what do you want?" Every time he tried to remove himself from underneath the sword, Levi replaced it immediately. "For me to pack my things and leave? Money?"

"It seems you didn't properly receive the message we sent."

The man paused, heaving chest, frantically trying to fetch memory of a message. "_You_ were the one to send me that ridiculous letter asking to pay dues."

"I wasn't," Levi crouched to the ground, eye level with this pathetic excuse of a human being. "That would be Erwin Smith who did."

"I don't have to give you anything! And tell this Erwin Smith that he won't last long here. He'll never destroy everything I've built in this city. The children have schools, the whores have found God! Without me, this place would not be the utopia it is."

Levi exhaled sharply, a sound resembling something short of a laugh. "Don't act so noble. We know about all the secrets you have to offer."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"It doesn't matter if you do."

The man, such a smart man, could smell his impending doom. He was wailing, crying. Levi was unmoved. "This world will be nothing without me!"

"I guess only time will tell."

Levi rose to his feet, twirling the sword gracefully in his palm.

When the man's blood splattered across his face, all he could think about was how much he needed a bath. Then he pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, inspecting the position of the hands on his watch.

"Just in time for the show."

* * *

Erwin Smith liked to consider himself a patron of the arts. Levi never understood the man's fixation on something so asinine. An image on a piece of canvas, or a man reciting a pre-written monologue—there was so much more that needed to be done than put on some show for pretentious aristocrats with disposable income.

Levi never found pleasure in these little field trips that his boss always organized. The logic followed something along the lines of cultural and morale, but Levi never payed much attention to the details. He just followed his orders.

And these particular orders had him sitting in the box, such a coveted seat in the theater, yet it was wasted by housing a pouting man in a tuxedo.

This show was a ballet—if Levi had to accept any art, he supposed he could deal with ballet. It showed great physical aptitude, but even then, these dancers were busy prancing on a stage for the applause. There wasn't much nobility to be found in tutus and tights. Then again, Levi killed people for a living, so he hardly had room to judge anything even synonymous with nobility.

He remained in his seat, spine erect and perfectly perpendicular to the floor, hair immaculately combed to a dark sheen, applauding at the appropriate moments. This process was repeated, with the occasional comment Erwin would whisper, which would definitely shake things up.

There was an arm pressing into Levi's own. Erwin wasn't the best at whispering, but no one was willing to be the person to let him know that. "They have a new prima ballerina. She's an Oriental, apparently."

In his years of getting dragged to this sort of thing, Levi came to learn that the prima ballerina was the star of the show—the most desirable position in a ballet. The girls were always beautiful, some older than others, and they all caught Erwin Smith's attention. He couldn't even count the mornings after a ballet when Levi would prepare for his day and there would be a hopelessly lost prima ballerina with nice legs and disheveled hair wandering about. Always stopping someone to ask where the "strong blond man with the nice eyes" could be found. It could be considered Levi's favorite aspect of going to see the ballet in the first place, actually.

But he still had to sit through the ballet to get to such a rewarding point. Until then, Levi would watch these men and women sashay about on the hardwood planks of the stage, all while combating the sensation of needing to gouge his eyes out.

Levi didn't understand the gaudiness of the costumes on the stage before him. These were already the most trained and advanced dancers—their skills, albeit useless, should have been the focal point, not the costumes. And yet, Levi had no choice but to try to figure out _why _someone thought that shade of orange would look good with those purple feathers. He wasn't even a very fashionable man to begin with.

He was waiting for this new prima ballerina to show herself. It had been _years _since there had even been word of an Oriental living within the walls, but Levi wasn't holding his breath. Every woman with dark hair and dark eyes that he had encountered always mentioned Orient in their bloodline, so this girl couldn't have been any more special than the rest. This girl, the prima ballerina girl, who had yet to appear onstage.

Almost on cue, the music turned somber. The corps de ballet scattered to their places, either taking a frozen position at the back of the stage, or exiting completely. No one spoke throughout the crowd, because this was the moment everyone was waiting for—save for Levi, of course.

And there she was. The Oriental prima ballerina.

Posture was always a maintained trait within Levi, but had it been possible for him to sit up any straighter, he would have. Because all eyes were on this girl, and Levi was no exception.

The striking physical beauty hit Levi right in the abdomen. Yes, Levi was in the box, possibly as far away from the girl as he could get in the theater, but he could feel her beauty in his bones. Her hair was not just dark—it was thick curtains of raven. Raw and natural, the hair flowed freely in every which way, with no extravagant tiara adorning some ridiculous updo. And that skin was as pure as snow, paler than Levi thought possible. Almost translucent under the heavy lights.

This girl was long and lean, with shadows cutting into the crooks of each muscle on her body. Levi was a sucker for a well-kept body, and he was sure that this girl's body was a temple. It was a paradox almost, the way her delicate frame held up such strong flesh. A paradox that Levi had no argument for.

Her dress was white, almost like a nightgown. Between such intimate clothing and unkempt hair, it looked like a half-sleeping girl managed to wander onto the stage.

As much as that was a joke, it was clear that this wasn't a girl who accidentally ended up on stage. She was a girl who had every right to be on stage, and while Levi's draw didn't exactly drop, the amazement was still prominent. His eyes raked over those legs that extended into eternity, and those toes that pointed so sharply. Ballet technique was a foreign concept to him, as it always would be, but he was pretty convinced that whatever she was doing wasn't exactly correct—but it was so right.

She was a rag doll, deviating away from the stiffness that came with every other prima ballerina that Levi ever witnessed. Ballet was a fluid motion to begin with, but compared to what this girl was doing, her predecessors were clunky and nowhere near the realm of grace. Levi watched as the girl ran across the stage, jumping to an apex that just wasn't humanly possible, throw her body back until her spine met with the back of her thigh, and even managing to land without even as much as a thud on the wood.

What he was watching was not ballet, that much had to be certain. All prima ballerinas in the past danced in roles that were accompanied by upbeat sonatas and radiating smiles. Whether faked or genuine, prima ballerina solos were always topped a smile wider than the actual face. This, however, this was not something that a smile could be considered the appropriate countenance. The girl, with her charcoal hair looking so perfectly harsh against her milky body, was broken and lost on that stage. With an audience well in the hundreds, each and every person watched this defeated soul contort her body into beautiful shapes. So many people witnessing a frown.

Yet it was just her and Levi in the room, it felt.

"They must be taking some contemporary, experimental route with this ballet," Levi heard Erwin attempt to whisper. So much for it being just the two of them in the room.

Levi licked his lips, then pressed them into a firm line. "I'm intrigued."

"She's not even using toe shoes," He sounded less than impressed. "The girl is definitely exotic. Pretty, but kind of boring."

"It's simplicity," Levi found the slightest bit of alleviation in Erwin's lack of interest. He wouldn't have to see what this girl looked like after having sex with his boss, and for whatever reason, Levi was okay with knowing that this stranger wasn't going to have Erwin Smith eight inches deep inside her.

Erwin had moved past the point of trying to at least keep a hushed tone. His concern was no longer with the boring prima ballerina, but with Levi. Despite the show still in session, and despite Levi finally finding interest in _something_ with the arts, Erwin checked his watch.

The universal sign that Levi designated as the "about-to-get-assigned-a-job" signal. This name was ridiculous, Levi knew that, but he never said it out loud so it didn't matter.

"Our target is in the audience tonight, Levi. Secure the perimeter. Don't give him a chance to escape after the curtain call."

Levi took one last look down at the dancer, still drifting onstage. Then, rising onto his feet, he flattened his hands against his pectorals, smoothing out the fabric as he ran them down the length of his midsection. Once adjusted, he turned his back to the stage and its sole inhabitant.

As tempting as it was to get caught up in the trance of this girl, he was given an order, and orders would always take precedent.

* * *

While many others would be the first to refute such a notion, Levi considered himself somewhere along the lines of humble.

He was gifted with physical appeal, admittedly, but he never really thought he was amongst gods. He could probably be a memorable face in a sea of people, but it didn't seem possible that he'd be able to captivate a sole person from any significant distance.

With that being said, Levi couldn't help but sense that she was watching him. As if she were making a point to meet eyes with him, and him specifically. Even though she was in shower of roses and standing ovations, she was more concerned with needing to capture Levi's attention. Her smiles were barely present, nothing quite amiable, and she acknowledged the crowds with hesitant nods and less than enthusiastic curtsies.

Right when Levi planned to send someone to deliver this girl flowers, Erwin was in his ear. "Confirm that all positions are under surveillance."

Levi hardly had to turn a head before a low-ranking subordinate gave an affirmative nod. He decided his hands were tired from applauding, so he stopped. "Awaiting Eren Jaeger's departure from the west wing of the theater. Once in line of sight, capture will be stealthy and swift."

Erwin nodded, pulling another subordinate close for a message. Levi tried not to eavesdrop, but he was just so poor at whispering. "Send gifts to the prima ballerina. Tell her that I would love to get to know her better."

Between the champagne and jewelry, Levi listened to Erwin's plans to capture the heart of the same girl he described as boring. He hardly blinked, he just looked down at her. When she managed to catch his gaze for a second and a third and a fifth time, it seemed less and less like a coincidence.

"It is important that this plan is executed properly," Erwin was back to addressing Levi. "This boy could be a valuable asset to us."

Levi didn't even hesitate a single syllable. "I will personally guarantee Eren Jaeger's cap—"

The lights went out.

In the theater, there was a moment of utter silence throughout the crowds. Then panic rose in octaves, resonating worry in every inch of the building. His hand would not have been visible in this darkness, not even if his palm were to be against his nose, but that left no excuse for fear. These were sheltered, paranoid rich people whose sheltered existences couldn't have even prepared them for a power outage.

If anything, Levi should have been the one with any reason to worry. He would now have to wait for lighting in order to move forth with his mission. It was a minor inconvenience, but with Levi's capabilities, he could make success out of any situation.

However, not even a full minute passed before there was a flicker of lighting, then a steady stream coming back through the fixtures. A collective sigh of relief echoed in the theater, these wealthy imbeciles back in the safety of light, and Levi was about to begin the chain of actions needed to get this kid in their custody—but, of course out of the smallest habit, he glanced back down at the girl.

The prima ballerina who was no longer on the stage.

It was odd that she was gone, but it was nothing to think much about. He'd see her again eventually, especially if Erwin Smith had anything to do with it, and he presently had a mission to execute, so her disappearance would have to remain a little mystery.

But now that he did think about it, there was a precise amount of maneuvering needed to exit in pitch black circumstances without falling off the many ledges of the stage. And while he was at it, he notice that all the bouquets she held were now on the floor where her feet once were, and Levi just found it so strange that she just didn't take at least one flower with her.

An elderly man wandering onto stage, appearing as though he were the director of the ballet looking for a certain prima ballerina who had recently made an abrupt disappearance, and that really let something loose in Levi's mind.

With one step, and then another, he leaned over the railing of the box. Nothing dramatic, no plummeting to any death, but he craned just enough to look in a very specific theater seat that was perfectly center with the stage. A very specific theater seat that was now empty. Eren Jaeger's theater seat.

The boy was missing.

* * *

_The only thing you need to take away from this chapter is that Erwin Smith has an eight-inch dick._

_And you also need to take away the fact that I enjoy reviews. Even the ones that tear me a new one._


	2. Chapter 2

_Enjoy the violence._

* * *

He wished he had the heart to tell her about the little speck of green wedged between her teeth, nestled right below her gums. It was a relatively objectionable sight, but after nearly three hours of this meeting, it was the only hope at cheap amusement he could really get.

It could have been simple, fixing Hanji's dental faux pas with brief eye contact and a hand motion But, of course, Levi wouldn't. It was kind of funny in an immature sort of way, but he also didn't want to bother with exerting the energy required to lift a fingertip to his own teeth and make a scratching motion. All of his energy needed to go toward the mission he had later in the night, one that Levi had been waiting the entire length of his life for.

Within the next few hours, Levi would be looking into the eyes of a certain man. His job was to escort this notorious criminal from the starting line to the finish, with Erwin's moral concerns extended far enough to accept the money and task from such scum, but excusing himself from holding any responsibility over the crimes the man would eventually later commit. The crimes Erwin Smith and his men committed were different from the common miscreant, they were for the benefit humanity—classy and maybe even necessary, if illegality could be described as such.

So, in essence, as long as this man paid the fee, Levi would escort him along his little route. At the ending point, after receiving the final chunk of the cost, Levi could do as he wished from that point on. Erwin didn't care, as long as the money was forthcoming. And it was beside the fact that Erwin Smith knew that Levi wouldn't spare this man's life.

Levi was almost excited, in his own muted sort of way, because of this opportunity. He'd be friendly just enough to have this man trust him, and then when he thinks he's safe, that would be the time that Levi would strike. He'd torture this man so slowly and tenderly, ask very few questions because everything he ever needed to know had been long answered.

This man was Levi's father, for one. But the more important piece of trivia that Levi learned right when he could comprehend words, the most vital question already answered before it was even a question, was that this man was Levi's father for one specific reason. This man, this criminal and trash of the earth, raped the woman who gave birth to Levi. His mother never a single person forget that fact, and couldn't place the blame on anyone but the child, whose existence was a direct outcome of her assault. The child being a certain Levi, the same Levi whose body shook with nerves to finally serve his own type of justice for the sake of his mother.

Stars aligned, which allowed Levi the pleasure to finally get to know his father. So many lost years, opportunities to bond lost right along with the time. There were many curiosities Levi had. He'd love to get to know what his father's screams sounded like, and how quickly his father would last before he would beg for mercy. Levi really wanted to get to know his father and the color of his blood. And the favor would be reciprocated. His father could finally see how much his boy grew into a man—and how his boy inherited his father's cold heart.

A cold heart ending the life of a colder one.

It wasn't a conventional family reunion, but Levi didn't mind the more unorthodox of customs. He just had to wait patiently to get out of this meeting, and then he would depart on this mission. And then these images in his head would be so satisfyingly real—it made him tingle with anticipation. Until then, he would focus on the spot of green in the scientist's teeth.

Said teeth were addressing him, apparently. "Captain Levi, what is your opinion on this?"

Without a pause, Levi fabricated a cover-up. "Let me hear it one more time so that I understand clearly."

He didn't want a lecture for daydreaming in such a crucial meeting. Not that this meeting held anything really relevant to Levi and his direct interest. He was expecting some question on finances, or a request to send one of his squad members to another unit. Something so painfully pointless.

So when Erwin lowered his hands back down to his lap, and sat fully upright in his chair at the head of the table, Levi was mildly pleased. Maybe it would finally be something worth talking about. Then Erwin checked his watch and Levi immediately couldn't suspect pleasantries.

"As you may know, Eren Jaeger's escape from the theater has put a hold on many forthcoming plans," Levi nodded for him to continue. "And with much deliberation between my fellow advisers and myself, I have come to find that retrieving Jaeger from his own residence would be the necessary plan of action."

Levi wasn't shaken with some argument. It could be a theater, or a home. Location hardly intimidated him. In fact, this information was much better than he'd predicted. "That sounds fine. I trust that you all have weighed the pros and the cons to the highest degree, so I feel comfortable in supporting this."

"I'm glad you agree," Erwin's face held something bitter, a pleasant inflection hiding information that had to be anything but good. "Because I am selecting you to execute this mission."

It was strange that Erwin expected Levi to be upset about this. While he would've liked some time off, it wasn't a very difficult maneuver to execute, and the results would be immediate and satisfactory. Levi could not have cared less if he were on this mission or not, to be frank. "Consider it done."

"Excellent. I'll have the necessary preparations readied. Be ready to depart at dusk."

There it was. That was the catch. With Erwin Smith, there was a catch more frequently than not. Levi tried not to outwardly display shock, especially in a room with several people. He could not guarantee it was a success, however. "Depart on the Eren Jaeger mission?"

Erwin looked as if Levi were the dumb one. "Yes," Levi couldn't tell if he was being an asshole, or if he was genuinely clueless. "Did you already have a prior commitment?"

"You assigned me a mission long ago," He knew that Erwin understood the significance of this mission. "The escort mission within Wall Sina."

"I do not recall."

Levi wasn't a child to throw tantrums, but this sensation bubbling under the surface of his skin felt awfully close. "It's a very important mission to me, Commander. I was under the impression that you knew this."

If he had any doubt that Erwin was just being a dick, then it was long gone. Levi saw the gears click. Erwin knew this was the mission involving Levi's father, and over the years, Erwin had learned the details of Levi's past. Behind closed doors, this mission could have been considered a gift from Erwin to Levi. He knew. "I can see how much it means to you."

"Thank you, Commander," His relief was short-lived. Levi couldn't expect anything good from the way Erwin narrowed his eyes, and that expectation was solidified when he went to glance at his watch for a second time.

"I recall you saying that you'd personally guarantee the capture of Eren Jaeger in the theater."

Nothing good, Levi was right. "I did."

"There is no Eren Jaeger in my custody," Erwin was so polite in his words, so proper. Levi was half-tempted to attack him. "Which leaves your personal guarantee unfulfilled."

Levi didn't say anything. Not that he could, anyway. He'd recite the holy words directly from the gods above, but that wouldn't change a damn thing in Erwin's mind.

"I really do like you, Levi, and I'm proud of what I've seen you become. I would hate for you to lose your integrity."

It was so tempting to wrap fingers around Erwin's jugular. So tempting that it physically ached. Levi would capture Eren Jaeger, and he'd do it flawlessly, but this was his only opportunity to confront his father. Eren Jaeger could have waited just one more day, or at least until after Levi's father's final breath was drawn. But Erwin Smith had already made a decision, one that Levi was foolish in even thinking he could sway.

There was a lot of tongue biting Levi had to do. Erwin was simply being an asshole out of some unknown spite, and for that, he was on Levi's shit list—not that such a position held much threat. Levi wasn't going to rebel, and Erwin knew this.

"I'll send someone to Wall Sina in my place."

* * *

Sometimes Levi wished that he could live away from the castle. With the sort of money he was earning under Erwin's command, he had no doubt he could find a nice house in the city. Though, such a luxurious lifestyle was foreign to Levi, who had grown up relatively impoverished. The architecture a mansion would be a satisfying sight to come home to, but he wouldn't need a place so large if it were just him.

And Levi was more than secure with the fact that it would always be just him.

So the castle would have to do for the time being. Levi would have to simply admire homes in passing glances, he couldn't think much about cobblestone walkways, fountains hidden within lush gardens, or windows stained in all colors. But, really, that was on his mind as he lurked in the darkness just outside the Jaeger residence. As much as the plan at hand needed to be the exclusive thought in his mind, Levi had to stop for a moment to smell the roses.

Without even the sound of a snapping twig or crunching leaves, Levi crept closer to the home. A yellow glow of light radiated from within, a shadow dancing in the windows. He froze in his tracks, watching the pattern of the figure, trying to detect its route inside of the home.

Erd whistled to capture Levi's attention, requesting directions. After a moment of contemplation, Levi decided it was best if each member of his squad entered from different positions. He signaled this plan to Erd in a poor attempt at charades, but he somehow managed to understand and shortly departed to inform the others.

Keeping low to the ground, Levi inched his way to the walls of the house. He gently felt the windows, tugging and pushing in hopes of finding one unlocked. It would've made his job that much easier, but this family wasn't a stupid one, so Levi was stuck devising an alternate method of entry.

There was a door on the side of the house, attached to presumably the kitchen. Trying to open it anyway, Levi expected it to be locked, which, of course, it was. Footsteps were light behind him, too light to be one of his male squad members. Levi barely looked in the direction of Petra, who inspected the keyhole of the door.

"Are you certain the boy's parents have left?" She whispered, fondling with her pockets.

The doctor and his wife came out of the house, arm in arm. He assumed it was only a nightly stroll, so there wasn't much time able to be wasted. "I am. They departed no more than twenty minutes ago."

Petra crouched to her knees, eyes level with the knob of the door. She had fished out her kit from her pockets, extracting the proper materials needed to pick the lock. Levi watched as she gingerly felt for the right mechanisms inside, angling the tension wrench just right, jiggling the pick to press all the right places. Within a few minutes, Petra was back on her feet, opening the door with no issue. Levi could pick a lock himself, but he usually grew impatient and frustrated, having to start the process over again. Calm persistence was the key factor in being an expert lock picker, and Petra had plenty of that, which made her simply the best.

"We have a clear sight of the den, so keep the fight in there. We'll enter once at a time."

With that, Petra was amongst the trees, camouflaged in the foliage. Levi didn't allow himself time to think, he just wanted to dive right in. According to the information briefed to him prior to departure, Eren Jaeger was strong and skilled, but young. There was an expectation for someone with the perfect potential to overtake Levi, but he probably lacked experience and self-control, which were the two biggest mistakes of a prodigy. Well, Levi wasn't sure about being an exact _prodigy_, per se, but he was young enough to meet the age requirements to be defined as such.

Levi wasn't sure what _young_ exactly was, but he hoped it was older than fourteen. There would be something too familiar with the situation if Eren Jaeger turned out to be a fourteen-year-old, and he wasn't willing to deal with the thought of that.

It seemed to be a straight path through the kitchen, past a dining room, and into the den. Levi could see the fireplace crackling in the distance. Once again, the admiration of such a nice home overwhelmed more of his brain than he needed. There was nothing outstanding about the décor, nothing that hinted at extreme wealth, but it felt as though each object had a place. Everything in this home belonged, except for the grown man with the intentions of stealing the kid. But that went without saying. Levi didn't really belong anywhere, so he was hardly disheartened at not fitting in.

Eren Jaeger must have had impressive hearing, because Levi was certain that he didn't make a single sound. "Mom? Is that you?" The voice was deep enough for him to be closer to a young adult. Because of this, Levi was able to care less about hurting this boy. "I thought you went to the market with Dad."

Air was sucked into Levi's lungs and held tight, not wanting to risk even the sound of breathing. Footsteps came from down a set of stairs, it sounded like, and they stopped in what seemed to be the den. Levi pressed against a wall, peeking around the corner, using shadows as a means of invisibility.

"Mikasa, are you home already? The ballet isn't over until late."

Levi froze with that last statement. Mikasa was not a name that was heard everyday, and an Oriental was not a sight seen everyday. The mentioning of a ballet only further proved a theory in Levi's mind. Maybe, just maybe, he'd see a certain prima ballerina without the assistance of Erwin Smith's libido.

He caught sight of Eren Jaeger in a brief glace. Levi knew that the boy's height was a direct advantage, especially compared to his own lack of such. But he was also very slim, hardly any muscle, so Levi may have had the upper ground in the area of pure strength. However, there was only one way to find out how this match would turn out.

Waiting for the most opportune moment to extract himself from the darkness, Levi let the seconds pass by—long enough for Eren Jaeger to think that it was maybe just his imagination playing tricks and inventing noises that just weren't there.

"I know you're in the kitchen," His voice was calm, knowing. "Hurry up and try to rob the house. I'll give you a ten-second head start before I attack."

This kid was a cute one, with a cockiness that Levi could manipulate into a weakness. Saving the dramatics, Levi emerged into plain sight, coming into contact with the well-requested Eren Jaeger. "I'm not here to rob you."

"So you're with the Military Police. It's about time you found me."

The thought of Levi having anything to do with the police made him want to laugh, but he wouldn't. "Let me rephrase," He stepped closer to the boy, and was mildly impressed when the he didn't step back. "I'm not with any form of police, but I am here to take what's not mine."

"And what is that?"

"I'm here to take yo—"

Before Levi could even finish sounding out the final word, he was dodging a projectile toward his head. He hardly gave Eren Jaeger time to rearm himself, jumping onto the table in the dining room, kicking the decorative candelabra at the boy. It clipped him in the face, both leaving small gash deep enough to draw blood and sending him tumbling backward into the rear side of a sofa.

Levi advanced forward, grabbing the boy by his collar. "Just come with me without a fight. It'll save everyone a lot of time."

Instead of a verbal answer, Eren Jaeger connected his fist with Levi's jaw, which spoke for itself on the matter of going without a fight. While the punch was a good one, he didn't produce the right amount of momentum from his hips, and Levi could tell he held his knuckles awkwardly, because the crunch of a hand against cranial bone was not supposed to sound so painful. Levi felt the warmth of blood pooling between his palate and tongue.

Eren Jaeger was held by his windpipe, Levi intentionally making a point to dig his nails into the thick flesh of this boy's neck. Feeling around for the proper carotid arteries nestled below the chin to restrict, Levi tried to make this kid fall unconscious. Right when this boy's widely green eyes were fluttering from an oncoming blackout, there was a sharp pain in Levi's knee, the joint hyperextending backward from the boy's kick. This gave Eren Jaeger enough time to regain enough blood circulation that was needed in order to use his own body as a lever against the couch. With the right amount of upward propulsion, Levi was airborne, toppling over the sofa and onto the coffee table.

Pinned against the table, Levi struggled against the boy's punches. Eren Jaeger was curled up against him, the entirety of his body weight resting on top, and Levi felt Eren in the crook of his neck, holding tightly enough to make sure Levi had no room for his own attacks. And Levi felt Eren Jaeger's fist driving harder and harder into Levi's guts. Levi eventually mustered the power needed to push the boy off of him and reverse the roles. It was a struggle, Levi had to restrain himself from puking because his innards were bruised and bursting, he was sure of it. But he learned how to let pain become secondary.

He wondered where the hell the rest of his squad had gone. Levi made sure to keep the fight in the den, but no one was showing up to assist. It made his blood boil knowing that he probably needed backup in the first place. Levi felt this rage tingle throughout his nerves, and with several years worth of mental discipline, he channeled the anger into controlled power. Anybody could get mad and punch, but Levi perfected the balance between restraint and force. And this very balance was what allowed him to send Eren to the ground.

Eren Jaeger's body bounced, the impact on the ground great enough to send his body back upward, and Levi hardly looked at the face of this child as one blow was aimed for the nose. Such a beautiful crack rang in the air, a grunt of pain escaping the boy's mouth. There was no room for mercy, and Levi knew this, so when Eren Jaeger was whimpering—because, really, he was just a child whose nose just broke—he had no choice but to take the kid by the collar once again, and drag him across the floor.

There was an open flame in the fireplace, and Levi dragged Eren Jaeger until his head came painfully close to being lit ablaze. Eren had obviously lost, but Levi needed to solidify the victory. "I offered to save everyone a lot of time, but you had to go and waste mine," He inched the boy closer, so close that even Levi's fingers were singeing from the heat. "So consider this collateral."

Hesitance was not a word Levi liked to use, one that never bothered to cross his mind, so he had every intention to roast this boy like a hunk of meat. Erwin Smith requested Eren Jaeger's capture, never specifying what condition he wanted the boy in, so Levi hoped that slightly charred would suffice. Even when Eren Jaeger teared up, and his screams were heavy in the empty house, Levi didn't think to stop. He was so close to lighting this kid up.

And he was going to, but then there was an excruciating pain in his thigh, with warm wetness shortly following. Looking down to see the damage, Levi saw that Eren Jaeger stabbed him with the fireplace poker. It wasn't deep, but it _hurt_, and Levi had no choice but to release the boy to tend to his wound. Pulling the poker out had to have been a mistake, with the sensation of even more blood saturating the fabric of his pants, but Levi still had a mission to complete and an iron rod in his leg would have been a slight hindrance.

It was surprising seeing how much of a fight this boy was putting up—Levi took pride in his combative capabilities, but Eren Jaeger was certainly holding his own. Their skill levels differed in all aspects, but they came to be almost even as opponents.

But here they were now. Levi was applying pressure to the puncture in his thigh, Eren Jaeger was rubbing the minor burns on his neck and face. The winner would be the one who'd rise to their feet first. Considering Levi had a fresh hole in his limb that was needed to achieve such a task, it wasn't much of a shock when Eren Jaeger was the one who'd be looking down at him. And Levi braced himself as he watched Eren raise his leg into a kicking position, while trying to find a weak point in his balance to throw him off. He saw that he put too much of a spin onto the ball of his foot, and Levi was about to go for the heel to disrupt equilibrium—then Eren was grabbed from behind.

Günter had Eren Jaeger in a rear naked choke, holding him in one place as Petra rushed to Levi's side. "Captain, we need to get you to Major Hanji! You've lost a lot of blood!"

"Calm down," He tried his best to get himself onto his feet, but Petra had to offer some of her weight as support, much to Levi's displeasure. "I'll be okay."

The room was quiet, everyone waiting for Levi to give the next course of action. He thought for a moment, but it was mostly an internal monologue needed to convince himself not to show outward pain because of his leg. "As you may know, Eren, you are highly wanted by the Military Police."

He was fuming, biting and barking like a dog that was chained down. Günter didn't let Eren move an inch, but he could still talk, so Günter's grip wasn't too restricting. "What's that have to do with you?"

"I work for a very powerful man, you see, and you should feel honored that he wants your abilities to be apart of his team. It's not every day do you hear about a nine-year-old killing a group of men. And as you've gotten older, from what I hear, the crimes get more elaborate. And if the rumors stand correct, you possess a certain skill that most people would consider monstrous."

"That's none of your fucking business," Eren struggled against Günter's height and brawn.

Levi was unmoved. Maybe slightly okay with the fact that this handsome boy didn't have to lose a face to the flames, but that was about it. "Such a filthy mouth," He swatted away Petra's attempts at first aid. "He'd make it worth your while if you'd come and work with him. He'd love to see this skill of yours, and show you how you can utilize it to its maximum."

Eren's mind was working, resistance softening and eyes ready to bargain. "And if I don't?"

Silence seemed to speak more than a threat would, but Levi did make a point to drag Eren's gaze back toward the fireplace, with the raging inferno awaiting to consume the chocolate mop of the boy's hair.

Eren didn't say anything. He looked down at his feet, mulling something over within his head. Frankly, Levi wanted to cut this rendezvous short—he could only bleed so much before it'd be a problem. "Make a decision in five," He exaggerated the length of time between each second. "Four—"

There was a shatter of glass, and before a single person could even turn a head to find the source of the breakage, Günter fell to the ground. Petra let out a small scream, and even though Levi could stomach the worst of abominations, seeing the tiny stiletto of a knife wedged deep in Günter's eye socket really wasn't easy.

Levi took a step forward to try and aid his fallen member, searing hot pain coursing through his injured leg, but before he could cover any distance, there was a noise of air whipping past, and in a blur not even a hair's length away from his nose, something flew by. His first instinct was to track the path of the projectile, finding a sabre clip knife wedged snugly into the wood of the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Touch Eren again and I won't be so generous with my aim," A girl's voice spoke. Levi followed the intonation of someone hostile in the most peaceful sense, and he turned to find her standing there.

The prima ballerina from the theater. The Oriental.

Her beauty was vivid from the distance between a stage and a box, but that was only a mere dilution compared to such a close proximity. There were no words to be spoken as she walked right past Levi to retrieve her knife skewered into the mahogany. He could visibly see the suppleness of her slender neck, and the protrusion of such feminine collar bones, and she was teasing his patience by carrying herself with such lax. She was effortless in looking like marble-carved perfection, but even more so in gracefully intimidating anyone in her presence.

There were other adjectives to describe Levi in place of _intimidated_, but he would not let a hint of any one of them exhibit on his visage.

"Why are you here?"

"I came to retrieve Eren Jaeger," Levi answered, even though he knew he didn't owe a thing to this girl.

She was hollow in her speech, with the slightest breathy drawl. "Before the police come for him, correct?"

"Correct," He affirmed, watching this girl.

She didn't seem armed or dangerous—holding nothing more than the knife she had just pulled from the wall. A black leotard covered only the vital components of her slender body, but those arms and legs were exposed for Levi to relish. He needed to know how muscle was able to remain so lean, and how such alabaster skin could stretch so evenly over the expanse of her limbs.

Rosy pink lips, with the faintest shine, began to form words. Dangerous words. "I believe it would be in everyone's best interest if you left."

Levi was rather disappointed. The girl had to waste her last words on something so polite, which was such a shame. Even if it was with every intention to murder, he was still keen from the prospect of even touching her for a moment. Knowing Eren was restrained by a different squad member, Levi had no worry in the boy's hero complex getting out of control. So he reached for the girl, fingers just so close to feeling the silk of her skin, and decided a snapping of the neck would work.

Her next actions were so _quick_, so agile. Levi could not have possibly done a thing to defend himself from her swift judgment and even swifter execution. His arm twisted, and using his body weight to pull her upward, he felt a set of thighs around his neck. Within another blink of the eye, she used the built momentum to literally _swing _Levi downward to the ground. There was minimal damage done to his body, but the attack happened within such an instant of time, that she gained dominance over him. This dominance was emphasized with one of her small dancer's feet pressing his throat down to the floor.

She had the knife pointed at all his other members, ready to attack with equal speed if the need arose. With the free hand, she leaned over slightly to reach for a bottle resting on the nearby coffee table, the glass revealing a transparent amber liquid. Uncapping the bottle with her teeth, Levi watched as the bottle slowly tipped in her hand, and he could do nothing but witness gravity pull the liquid down onto his own body. It smelled bitterly strong, and it thoroughly soaked his clothes. With a final splash, she let it drip onto his forehead, burning his eyes by just the smell alone. He tasted the drops that fell onto his lips—it was brandy.

If Levi ever thought there would be a single goddamn person—in all of the past, present, _and _future—who was capable of holding such emptiness, especially in an act of violence, his search was up. She was right here in this room, holding his alcohol-sodden body only a few steps away from an open flame. Her voice was cool and even, still monotone with a barely noticeable lilt that was audible every few words.

"You wanted to set Eren on fire, so I thought I'd even the score."

Levi _needed_ his squad to take action—their almighty captain wasn't about to go out this way. But that fire was getting closer, and his heart pounded with every second that passed without any ignition.

Right when he planned to take her down in flames with him, Eren was screaming. "Mikasa, _stop!_"

There wasn't even a beat of hesitance. Like a light switch, a glint of human life came back into her inky black eyes. Eyes so shiny and wide, framed in thick lashes. They were almost alien because of how doll-like and eerie they were. But the in the fraction of even a second that Eren Jaeger spoke, the faintest spark was provoked deep within her pupils. _Deep._

"Eren, he tried to hurt—"

"Just let him go!"

And with that, Levi's neck was released. So many motives were unreadable, Levi had to thoroughly analyze the situation. But first, he made a point to move away from the fire place. "He said that his boss wanted to utilize my skill, Mikasa. That's a _first_, and you know it."

She looked away from him, making contact with some ambiguous point in the distance. "It could be a scam. I wouldn't do it."

"Let me make that decision for myself!"

The girl—Mikasa—shook her head, repositioning the knife in her palm. "You're not going with them. It's my job to keep you safe."

"Mikasa, would you stop—"

"You," She turned to Levi, eyes attempting to make contact with his, but she just fell short, opting for his cheek instead. "If you're going to take anyone, you're going to take me."

Petra stepped forward, along with Levi's other squad members. All but Levi himself were responding to that offer. "We could just kill you if you tried to attack again!"

Levi was, in short, _very _curious. Maybe it was the infatuation this girl generated within him, or maybe it was the fact that she was one of the few people, regardless of gender, to ever hold his life on the line. Knowing there was still a dead body in the room, and knowing she caused it, he wanted to know if she really had what it took—that she just wasn't empty threats with someone to always stop her before she

could go through with them.

"Did you throw that stiletto into my comrade's eye?"

"I did."

"From outside that window?" Levi motioned to the broken glass, and she nodded. This curiosity was only growing. "How?"

She didn't look proud of a remarkable kill. It seemed as though this was only the basics of her capabilities. "There's a position from the neighbor's roof that made the angle possible. I gave it enough force to smash the window and still maintain sufficient velocity."

Levi was sizing her up. A beautiful face, with such finesse so tightly under wraps. Such finesse that killed one of his finest men. "I see."

"Your comrade is not dead, by the way."

That last statement made the quiet room even quieter. There was a sharp object deep within his pupil, probably only a nudge away from piercing brain cells. He had to have been dead.

"How would you know that?"

"I hit his cornea cleanly. Not a single blood vessel was severed."

It was probably obvious that Levi was unconvinced. She spoke with such assurance, but to hit a target the size of a coin from several yards away—it seemed way too ludicrous, even for his own skill level. The Mikasa girl shrugged, not showing any obligation to prove her feat. "See for yourself."

With that word, Petra rushed to Günter's side, wincing every time she looked at the knife standing erect in his eye. After pinching the pulse point on his wrist, and after several seconds of agonizing silence, she broke down in tears, nodding with a small smile. Her head fell to Günter's chest.

Levi needed to sit down. Whether from the ache in his leg, or because she _really _did manage to pull off something so preposterous, he need to take a moment. But he didn't, of course, because he wasn't going let her—or anyone—know that he was actually impressed. "So he passed out from the pain."

Mikasa looked up, waiting with a vacant expression. "You're going to take me, or else I'll hold you all off while Eren gets away. And I can't guarantee I'll leave a survivor."

Eren was struggling to break loose, yelling even after the girl hardly showed much acknowledgment toward him. "_Mikasa_, don't—"

She pointed a knife at Eren of all people. He held still, almost appalled she'd even insinuate hurting him. "I'm doing my job by keeping you safe," Softer with her words, she looked down at her feet. "It's my debt to you, Eren."

Levi observed this scene, concluding his brief internal debate with a passive sigh. Erwin Smith would certainly kill him, but he could consider this payback for forcing Levi to give up his one opportunity he had to serve justice to his father.

Eren Jaeger was released, but that boy was no longer a concern to Levi.

"Grab Günter and get him to Hanji immediately," To Mikasa, he narrowed his eyes tighter than he ever had held them. "Don't make me regret this."

There wasn't any backing down on her end. "No promises."

* * *

_Aw, man. I was looking forward to some Levi flamb__é__._


	3. Chapter 3

_Welcome to chapter three, where I say "fuck it" to the laws of physics._

* * *

"You gave up one of my most valuable targets for some girl?"

Of course Erwin Smith wouldn't be happy. If there was one thing that would be the biggest understatement of the century, it would be that Erwin Smith was unhappy. Levi could do nothing but patiently ride it out—hold on long enough for his point to be made.

"I did."

They were in the arena, in the seats with an all-encompassing view of the pits. While Erwin was a patron of the arts, he was an even larger patron of gladiators. Within the walls, entertainment only went so far. The fine arts satisfied the intellect, and the burlesque satisfied the concupiscence—but there was hardly a solution for the deep bloodlust within. Live shows of fights to the death filled that gap, and while the whole concept was rather barbaric, if there was an audience willing to pay, Erwin would be there to collect revenue. It was only a bonus that he enjoyed staying around to watch.

So when Levi suggested taking a trip down to the technically illegal amphitheater, Erwin did not pose much of an objection. While there was no formal schedule for a live showing for the day, Levi was able to throw something together.

"Walk me through the logic that caused you to defy my orders so blatantly."

"There is nothing to walk you through," Levi raised a hand to signal the door masters down in the pits to release the star of the show. "Just watch."

And Mikasa walked into the filthy center of the theater, the newest prima of another genre of performance. Erwin sat upright in the seat, allowing the incredulity to be written all over his face. "You mean to tell me that the girl you took in place of Eren Jaeger is the—"

"The prima ballerina, yes," Levi did not allow Erwin Smith a chance to speak. "Let me introduce you to Mikasa Ackerman. After a little research, I discovered that she is certainly an Oriental—one of the last on record. She's an orphan, claiming a Dr. and Mrs. Jaeger as her adoptive parents."

Erwin Smith said nothing, blue eyes heavy with concentration as he watched the girl alone in the pits, who was awaiting something to happen. Levi continued. "Her value, no matter how you'd measure it, is the equivalent to an entire herd of skillful men. She's a force to be reckoned with, to be honest."

Levi rolled his eyes to one side, observing an awed Erwin Smith in his peripheral. "I do hope you find her to your satisfaction."

He wasn't quick to go along with what Levi had said. Erwin needed proof, proof that Levi was more than happy to provide. "Which man will she be facing? Because even a dancer like her could take down some of these lower-ranked fighters."

"Calling her opponent a human would be incorrect, actually."

Before Erwin could question the underlying meaning of that last part, Levi signaled for the opponent to be released into the arena. The heavy, heavy thuds of footsteps shook the ground, and Erwin's fists tightened. Only one creature could create such erratic, quaking movement. Hardly willing to give a smile, Levi watched as Mikasa finally realized the extent of what she was forced to go up against.

Only a few hours prior, Levi informed her that she would have to prove herself in front of an audience. No one knew—not even she knew—that Levi had a new breed of opponent in mind.

"A _titan,_" Erwin turned to face Levi, eyes wide with surprise or horror or anger. It was a wild card at this point. "Where did you even get a titan inside of the walls?"

"It was borrowed from Major Hanji's experiments," Levi watched as the girl backed against the wall, restraining any visibility of her own fear. "I personally chose the ten-meter class for Miss Ackerman. It was the largest one Hanji had available."

Erwin leaned back into his seat, letting out a grunt that could hardly be translated into anything coherent. "I fail to see the challenge, frankly. With the advancement of titan-slaying technology these days, it's practically foolproof. Anyone could kill a titan with the proper weaponry."

Levi kept his eyes narrow with expectation. He could also taste her fear on his tongue. "Well, then it's too bad that she doesn't have any of that."

Erwin's voice raised with shock. "You mean to tell me that you sent her in there bare-handed?"

"She was stripped of everything except the clothes on her back."

He could feel Erwin's anger physically tickle his skin. It was slightly humorous, actually. "So now we're essentially just executing her and wasting everyone's time?"

"Who said anything about an execution?"

There was nothing left that a conversation would prove, so Levi allowed the girl to speak decibels without saying a word. Mikasa was absconding for the most part, running circles around the titan. In order to stay out of reach, she had to maintain a constant sprint—Levi was amazed that she had the endurance and stamina needed to go at such a speed without stopping. Running was one of the more torturous aspects of his personal workout routine, and after a few minutes of a sprint that was as intense as the girl's, he would have to slow down. But there she was, running and evading in wide circles without wavering in urgency.

To be honest, Levi had no idea how _he'd_ take down a titan with his bare hands. Levi would probably do the same as Mikasa and simply avoid getting in the grip of the monster, but not only would he have more room than the confines of an arena, he would only have to hold out long enough for someone to show up and assist. Mikasa only had flat ground and the encasing walls to work with, and there was no stopping until she killed the titan herself, or died trying.

The moans of the titan shook the entire vicinity, reaching a volume that almost made Levi have to cover his ears. Levi watched Mikasa, noticed how she stopped looking over her shoulder every so often to find the titan. She kept looking ahead, vision stretching forward in almost a straight line. He could tell she had some semblance of an idea, but Levi couldn't even imagine what it would be.

Erwin watched with intensity, veins bulging from the tension. Levi was a bit more relaxed—he knew what this girl was capable of, so he had no choice but to believe that she could to this. But he still felt himself suck in a breath just a little harsher every time Mikasa stumbled over her own feet, or every time the titan's hand just narrowly missed her.

Mikasa would curve alongside the walls, keeping the shape of the circular arena as she ran away. Levi leaned forward in his chair, just barely, when he saw that Mikasa kept running for the wall instead of creating an arc of the circle. Right when she was pressed up against the wall with nowhere else to go, she cut through the gap between the titan's legs, sprinting even faster than before, toward the opposite end of the arena. The titan followed suit, picking up an even stronger pace as well. When Mikasa reached the limits of the pit, she spun around, facing the charging titan. It was as if she _knew _the exact amount of intelligence this titan had, because she held still as it made no attempt to slow down. She had enough guts to stay in that one place, not even flinching as the titan roared with hunger. She knew this titan was more focused on Mikasa, and not the wall right behind her. Levi saw that she knew, it was almost as if he could _feel _that she knew.

Levi felt his eyelids widen as Mikasa was lost in the debris from the titan crashing into the wall. She had to be in there—no one heard a girl's final screams for life. Unless she died a silent death, which would have been a shame. Levi was prepared to face the reprimanding from Erwin that would certainly follow her death. A pretty girl lost at the hands of Levi. It didn't bother him too badly—he had been responsible for much more, in circumstances that were much worse.

Then the dust was settling, and a titan laid nearly lifeless against the smashed wall. Levi recognized the lean legs and the small waist silhouetted in the rubble. She was bloody and bruised, but alive. Mikasa was bent over the destroyed crumbles of stone and concrete, using all of her strength to pull something to the surface. Upon closer inspection, Levi figured out that it was a metal beam that acted as the skeleton for the walls. She managed to separate a piece that was roughly the proportions of an average sword, and wasted no time in finding two stones, stacking one on top of the other.

Erwin was engrossed—they both were. But he talked from behind the hands that covered his horrified face. "First she survives that sort of impact, and now what is she doing?"

It really was a struggle trying to find out what Mikasa was doing with her two stones and metal shard. Levi tried to put himself in her mind. He hardly knew a goddamned thing about the girl, but he was able to get an idea of what she had planned. "She's sharpening that metal piece."

Looking up every few moments to check and see if the titan was still limp beside her, Mikasa had nowhere near enough time to sharpen the "sword" into something deadly. To kill a titan required clean incisions to the nape of the neck, and no such task could be accomplished with what Mikasa had created. However, Levi did have to admit that it was better than nothing.

Once the titan arose, slowly but surely, Mikasa was back to running. This time, though, she had her weapon in hand. Levi couldn't predict any actions she would take—he was blindly going along with whatever this girl could come up with.

She was running, and similarly to before, she kept running into a straight line toward the wall. Levi wasn't an expert in the technicalities of physics, so he could not even begin to speculate any sort of explanation to what he was witnessing. Mikasa ran up the length of the wall, using pure acceleration to push herself up the wall as far as possible before gravity would take over, and in a last kick of force, she was jumping into the stomach of the titan. From there, she kicked back over to the wall, but landed at a much higher point. Levi did not now this sort of maneuvering could be possible without the assistance of some form of gear, but she was so _fast _and did not leave even a millisecond to pause. She maintained that momentum, and kept building on top of it.

When the titan swung its hand around to capture Mikasa, she used the hand as the final platform needed to boost her high enough to reach the head of the titan. She was ten meters in the air, and to fall would lead to dire injury. Mikasa couldn't afford broken ribs and a concussion when it was only herself against a titan. But this didn't seem to be one of the girl's fears, because she pressed on, never looking down. Levi had to resist the urge to turn away as Mikasa struggled for a grip on the hair drooping down from the titan's head. She was mere speck against its face, her entire body had to be the size of the eye alone. But she was holding on with a single arm, and Levi hoped she could keep a firm grip. She was already so close—it would really be unfortunate if she died after she had just made so much progress.

Mikasa was showered in blood as she drove the makeshift sword into the titan's eye. She had to combat the revolting smell and taste of the blood burning her entire body, because even a slip in focus would lead to a weakened grip. The titan whined in agony, and Mikasa kept driving the sword deeper and deeper, trying to get it to feel enough pain.

Levi had been under the impression that titans couldn't even feel pain—according to both Major Hanji's experiments, and his personal experiences with the creatures. He couldn't tell if this was a fateful trait found in this specific titan, or if this could be considered the newest leg in titan discovery. But it hardly mattered to him at this point, because Mikasa's life was at stake. Hands were swatting at her, and it had to have been from sheer luck that the titan kept failing to hit her. But eventually, she got what she needed, and the titan began to topple.

However, it was still not exactly what she needed. The titan was falling face first, and she was dangling right in front of the, well, face. Mikasa extracted the sword, throwing it as far away as she could, and mimicking a child playing on a playground, she used the hair as a sort of money bars, circling the circumference of the titan's head. Once she was on the backside, she held on tightly, riding the titan on its way down to the ground.

The impact of the monster's fall was so great, that even as high up as Erwin and Levi were, they still bounced in their own seats. Erwin rose to his feet once Mikasa was safely on the ground, and without any fatigue to her pace, she rushed to get the sword she had thrown. Levi realized that she planned ahead—had she not thrown it, the sword would have been trapped between the titan's eye and the ground.

She was smart.

"Impossible," Erwin exhaled loudly, more to himself than to anyone. Honestly, Levi had to agree. This young girl was currently defying the impossible. "She's impossible"

Mikasa scaled the neck of the titan, standing right on the nape. With a final wave of strength, she sank the sword into the titan. The cut wasn't clean, since the sword was nothing more than a dull hunk of metal, so it was revolting to see this girl having to literally _tear _through flesh and blood in order to make one of the required cuts. She was a monster in her own right—and Levi couldn't look away.

A chunk of the titan's neck was lifted out, Mikasa using the same sword as a lever to ease the process. Once she was certain there was enough of the nape cut out, she slid off of the titan, putting as much separation between herself and the body as she could. Levi didn't know what bated breath felt like, so he wasn't sure if that was what this sensation was, but either way, he was hoping it was over. A titan's corpse would dissolve if truly dead, leaving behind nothing but a foul smell and hot steam.

Levi was more focused on the girl, though. He could see her chest heaving, body coated in filthy blood, with some being hers, and most belonging to the titan. That black hair looked damp with sweat, and even though nothing turned Levi off to a woman more than uncleanliness, he was consumed with her. Her clothes were shredded and skin was exposed all over, each rip in the fabric revealing an equally-sized cut or bruise, more than likely both. Mikasa had been broken during this fight, but yet she came out on top. She demonstrated true strength and clever strategy, all with poise that seemed almost rehearsed.

Steam began to rise from the corpse—she had killed a titan with essentially her bare hands.

Erwin Smith was at a stalemate within his own mind. He watched Erwin look down at the sight of the beautiful girl with beautiful skill. Levi wanted to believe that he looked at her with respect, because the idea of Erwin looking at her with something along the lines of lust instead made him shift uncomfortably right there in his seat.

It was all over, and Mikasa had proven herself capable. Levi kept himself collected. "If my two cents were worth anything, I would say she is going to be a much better contribution to your cause than the Eren Jaeger boy."

"How old is she, Levi?"

He knew what that question's purpose served. "Twenty-three years your junior."

"You may be right, Levi. She's good."

Levi wasn't sure what to say—an occurrence that wasn't often. "Jaeger was not exactly okay with Mikasa volunteering in his place. If I know anything about boys with relatively decent skill and an ego to match, then it won't be long before he comes to try and rescue Mikasa Ackerman."

There was a nod, any argument Erwin had for this situation had long dissipated. "I understand your logic. It would be easier for us to capture Eren Jaeger if he came here, rather than Mikasa Ackerman coming to get him."

"Precisely. You'll have both of them eventually, but having her first would yield maximum efficiency."

Erwin placed his hands behind his back, studying the now-empty arena. "So in the meantime, what are we to do with her?"

This was his one chance to claim his territory. If Levi didn't take it now, it'd be lost to Erwin Smith. So in the most authoritative voice, Levi took what would be rightfully his. "In the meantime, you're looking at the newest member of the Levi Squad."

* * *

"It'll be nice to have another girl around," Petra tried to remain pleasant, even though Levi knew she wasn't exactly happy with this arrangement. "Even if she did try to set you on fire, Captain."

"It only proves she has the nerve needed to be successful in this world," Levi shrugged off her mildly hostile comment, placing the fresh bedsheets on the single mattress in the otherwise bare room. "Mikasa will make Erwin a lot of money, and that's all that matters."

"I contribute _my_ share, and I'm not exactly a psychotic teenage girl," She helped Levi dress the bed, going as far as fluffing this girl's pillows. "Since when did you personally prepare the rooms of the newest members?"

"Petra, I did the same for you," Levi lied without even thinking about it. He just wanted Petra to not make a big deal out of falling inferior to a girl almost a decade younger than her.

"Captain, I didn't know that you did," She fussed over the wrinkles in the blanket. "Thank you for doing that."

"That was years ago," He took a seat on the freshly-made bed, waiting with his arms firmly crossed. "Don't worry about it."

There wasn't much left to talk about, but Levi knew that the highlights of Petra's week were the conversations she had with her captain, so he let her continue on with the aimless chatter. "What kind of name is Mikasa, anyway?"

"It's Oriental," Mikasa was in the doorway of her new bedroom. She was nonthreatening with her confrontation, but just maybe a little abrasive. "You're Petra, right?"

As the resident sweetheart, Petra was mortified that she was caught talking poorly about the new girl. Even though the jealously fed into an immediate dislike, Petra would always play nice. "I am. It's very nice to meet—" When she tried to offer her hand in a shake, Petra realized how disgusting Mikasa was. "What happened to you, Mikasa? Are you alright?"

Mikasa nodded, looking past Petra and to the man sitting so casually on her new bed. "I had to fight a titan, it's nothing. Everything is okay."

Petra's golden eyes were wide with panic. "There's been a breach?"

"No, no. I had to fight one in some arena," If looks could kill, Levi knew he would have been long dead. "It was a show, really. A sick, twisted show."

Levi noticed how gross Mikasa really did look. She was grimy with sweat and blood caked all over her body, with a smell that didn't leave a good first impression. Petra was frowning. "I've never heard of a fight in the arena that involved an actual titan."

"She killed the titan with her bare hands," Levi spoke up, letting the Oriental girl know that he noticed her feat. "There were few displays of incompetence."

Mikasa made a face that wasn't exactly gracious. "I used some debris as a weapon—it wasn't anything spectacular."

"Still, that really is amazing," Petra's attempts at genuine kindness were strained, but had good intentions. "Just try not to set our boss on fire anymore, okay?"

It was almost as if Mikasa forgot about such a thing ever happening. As if it was every day that she would attempt to kill a man with flames, and she had lost count of which victim was which. But she nodded in compliance, then began to shift uncomfortably. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to bathe and rest."

"Right, of course," Petra looked back to the man on the bed, motioning for him to follow. "Come on, Captain Levi. She deserves her space for the time being."

Levi kept trying to catch Mikasa's eyes. "Actually, Petra, you go on. I'd like to have a private word with my newest squad member."

With a flush that was pretty obvious, she nodded politely and dismissed herself. Mikasa watched her go, and Levi watched Mikasa watch her go.

"What is it that requires an immediate conversation?" Mikasa didn't move whatsoever in her own room. The voice he had thought to be hollow and soft, it filled with bitter venom and a sharp sass. "Because, considering what I had just gone through, I'm sure I earned time to myself."

He was getting such a rise out of her. It was not intentional, but it was a sort of emotion so different from the apathy he'd constantly seen from her. "You're mad that I put you in a ring with a titan."

She looked at him with an expression of rancor. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss?"

"There is," Levi didn't know what overcame him with the obligation to say what he was thinking. This could either go perfectly to plan, or only have a backfire. But he opened his mouth anyway. "You're familiar with Commander Erwin Smith, correct?"

"Isn't he the _very_ handsome blond who sent me all of those lavish gifts?" Her eyes held steady, almost piercing. "I recall that in a note, he said he wanted to get to know me better. I've heard of him, but I've never met him," Her voice was flat, but leading. "I'd like to, though."

Levi felt something sour in his mouth. So Erwin did send those gifts, after all. And she liked them. "He's our boss, the overseer of all within these castle walls. Consider him the ringleader of this whole charade we have going on."

"What charade is this, exactly?"

"We own the crime because there's only control where there's ownership. We keep the order, we guarantee peace," Levi decided to be completely honest. "And there's a _lot _of money in this business."

Mikasa hardly radiated with excitement. "Classic thugs. Justifying vigilantism to lessen the immorality of making a fortune."

Levi couldn't bear the idea of lying to her. "Welcome to the club, dollface. You're the newest pawn in something much bigger than yourself."

"You have me tingling with excitement," She was cold, already breaking Levi's heart.

It was a good thing Levi didn't have a heart to break. Mikasa was so filthy, revolting in sight and in smell. But she was still the same beauty Levi always saw. "I could have you tingling in more ways than one."

He closed the gap between the two of them. Levi didn't dare to touch, but with the way her breasts teasingly grazed his pectorals, he couldn't keep that restraint for long. She allowed him to trail his fingertips down her side, his nails feeling the rivets of her ribcage. Levi needed a miracle if he had any hope of demonstrating self-control. A physical craving for another human body was mind-consuming, and Mikasa's skin under his touch only emphasized such a notion.

"Tempting," Her whisper was hovering over his lips, a sweet taste with such bitter tone. "But I think I'd like to bathe instead."

Levi boldly pushed her backward into the wall, one hand securing her nape, and the other still appreciating the simplicity of her torso. Her eyes were so dark, so distant. Levi wanted nothing more than to bring that distance just a little bit closer. He could see her emptiness, and he wanted to fill it with every inch of his manhood. "Why don't you let me join you?"

"You're right," She let her own hands test the limits that Levi established, limits that were severely lenient to begin with. "You could scrub me clean, and then we'll use that bed for everything but sleeping."

There was no way in the sincerest depths of hell that this was happening—this was their first official meeting, after all, with every brief previous encounters involving sincere murder attempts. It could not be even a feasible possibility that on the first very attempt of chivalry, this girl was willing to have her hand inside Levi's pants.

But there it was, her hand snug around his dick, tugging and pulling at an agonizingly slow pace. This was really beyond the realm of a fantasy, and yet it was happening. He knew he had a few mental roadblocks to face if he didn't want to cream himself the second something warm and wet of hers touched him, yet he found himself already thrusting his hips in and out of her small hand, the sound of his belt buckle clanking mixing with his own heavy breaths.

The sensation he was faced with below the waist was an entirely separate game from the one he faced up top. Her eyes were shielded with heavy lids, pupils barely peeking out to meet contact with his own. He wanted this girl to see the pleasure on his face, the way his jaw was releasing short and sweet grunts, because this was just a hint at what he'd be giving her. Mikasa's lower lip was pulled by her teeth, pearly whites gnawing on the rosy skin. Levi was a lost man as he watched this girl frown, teeth only sinking deeper and eyes shutting tighter.

He didn't try to return any favors—right now, he would be selfish for a little while. He'd enjoy her hand job, because it didn't matter whether or not there would be more to come. Levi wanted this moment to last, and he wanted this tightness in his lower stomach grow that much hotter.

Then this girl, what a goddess, really sent Levi over the edge. With his precum shining all over her fingers, she used the absolute tip of her tongue to lick herself clean. She wasn't holding any spectacular expression, simply holding those eyes so narrowly, lips pursed into something just short of a smirk.

"I think I'll take that bath now," Mikasa removed herself from underneath her new captain, the man who practically owned her from here on out. "You might want to go finish yourself off, because I'm not going to do it for you."

Levi couldn't even think of a comprehensible response. She did not just do this to him—string him along then shut him out completely. Then she had the audacity to strip for her bath in front of him, remaining in undergarments and leaving nothing else to the imagination. Her creamy skin was littered with scars and cuts and bruises, some older than others, but she was taut with supple muscle, and there was something virginal about the youth of her curves and the delicacy of her bones.

Body halfway inside of the bathroom, she turned to look over her head at Levi. "By the way, do me a favor and pass along a message to Commander Erwin Smith," She hardly allowed any time for Levi to answer. In something just above monotone, in a raspy voice that was so painfully obviously aroused, she spoke with a simple lilt. "Tell him that it'd be my pleasure to have him get to know me better, and I would really like to show my _proper _thanks for the gifts he gave."

With that, a wooden door separated the two, in more ways than one.

He was seeing red—what a little fucking _bitch_. Levi managed to get to the privacy of his own room without any issue, and once there was a wooden chair within his reach, he grabbed it in one single motion, finding no satisfaction as it snapped into several pieces when he threw it all the wall. His knuckles were cracking from the punches he was giving to the stone wall. He yelled with frustration—the physical pain of being sexually teased, _not _the humiliation of rejection—and there were more than enough cracks in his own bathroom door to support this.

As much as he hated to admit it, she really did mortify him, which was a feeling Levi had yet to experience in his entire life. He let her take control, let her witness him as he weakly panted and moaned like an animal. Although he didn't outwardly make a fool of himself, he cringed at the thoughts he had been thinking at the time, the thoughts of what he wanted to do to her, with her, and for her. Not necessarily from the dirtiness, but from the very nominal, very _uncharacteristic _desire to take the time to explore every inch of her, slowly and thoroughly. The thoughts seemed okay at the time, but when she stopped and gave him a look that didn't even look really malicious in the first place, and she let him know it was Erwin time's she wanted to occupy—he was infuriated.

Levi pictured her frame so tiny against the magnitude of Erwin's. She'd let him do what he wanted, and she'd probably _enjoy _it. Mikasa would be riding Erwin's cock at some point in the near future, and as soon as Levi realized that, he picked up a fragment of the broken chair, throwing it at the wall with a loud grunt.

Mikasa, a brand new intruder in his little bubble of a world, managed to get under his skin. He was so _angry _that he allowed himself to display such negligent weakness to her. And maybe, just maybe, he was jealous of the pornographic images of Mikasa and Erwin infecting his mind. He wanted it to be him with her instead, but it'd be a cold day in hell before Levi would admit to those thoughts.

It was day one with Mikasa around, and he already established a desire to ruin this girl—because it was inevitable that she'd eventually ruin him, and Levi wasn't about to let that happen.

Once in control of at least an ounce of his rage, Levi found his own fist inside his pants, his calloused hand trying to replicate what he had felt only moments earlier. Oh god, he _still_ needed Mikasa in here with him. He needed her hands, and her mouth, and he needed to worship her perfect body for what it was worth. Levi began to feel the clutches of desperation. As much as she managed to throw off his indifference, the thought of being inside of her only tempted his patience. He was so close, he wanted to shoot his cum out, imagining it would hit Mikasa's angelic face. She'd taste his release the same way she licked his precum off her own fingers.

A young girl on her knees and soiled with Levi's cum all over her face, really showing who had the control—he wanted it so bad.

Before he could allow for that last snap that separated his insanity from sweet relief, there was a knock at his bedroom door. It was a sweet voice. Not the voice he truly wanted to hear, but it was the voice of a woman with a nice body, a nicer face, and the willingness that Levi really needed at the moment.

"Captain, are you okay? I thought I heard some yelling and banging—"

Without even a fair warning, he pulled Petra inside. Not fond of the intimacy associated with kissing, he meshed his lips with hers anyway. She was tender and kind, and she'd let Levi have all the power. He had the ability to destroy Petra, and he loved it. It wasn't because she was Petra and he had a specific want to hurt her, but because she was a woman who wouldn't turn him away sexually, or set him on fire. She fit the mold of what Levi generically needed at the moment, and he'd take advantage of that.

Levi was willing to kiss her and make love to her slowly, and although his honesty in this affair was questionable, he'd enjoy this beautiful woman for what she was worth. She wasn't Mikasa Ackerman, but it was okay. He found fulfillment, albeit only partial, with the gasps and moans of someone else.

* * *

_Friendly reminder that sex can be used as a very dangerous weapon._

_This is only the beginning of something truly unhealthy._


	4. Chapter 4

_If there was a rating more intense than M, chapter four thoroughly earned it._

_This isn't gonna be pretty, so consider yourself warned._

* * *

"She'll be entering from the front," Auruo informed Levi, in a low voice as he passed by. "You have approximately ten minutes to take your position."

With a nod, Levi allowed himself to lose Auruo in the crowd. There was a blur of the many faces belonging to some of the most important people within all of the walls, but no one could possibly leave a lasting impression in his mind. All of these men in their suits were distinguished with self-imposed delusions of grandeur, and their dolled-up wives were women possessing aspirations limited to the more vapid of interests. In fact, this entire event was a facade that these aristocrats blissfully imposed on themselves—gathering with their rivalrous benefactors to pat each other on the back for having wealth, all while competing in socioeconomic pissing contests.

The invitation Erwin Smith had received described such an event as a fundraiser, with a mission to keep the theaters and museums financially supported. While Levi could understand the need for culture in society, hosting an entire event seemed superfluous, to put it lightly. These affluent supporters already purchased tickets and sponsored the artists, so Levi failed to see why an entire gala for the purpose of collecting more money was necessary. Because of growing up under undesirable conditions, maybe Levi was biased. He knew first-hand how much all this money was needed in the underground, and he was simply watching the haughty bourgeois doing everything in their power to keep the wealth circulating amongst the upper class.

It didn't help that each woman was doused in their own perfume, and the men reeked of their cigars. Maybe in a controlled amount, it would be pleasant, but no. There was a tangible humidity of musk, and it was revolting to the nose. Levi was not fond of crowds, always an advocate for respecting personal space, but he was getting close to these people in the most literal sense. He had no choice. Levi needed to careen his way to the center of the room to further initiate the stratagem, so he refused any eye contact, and weaved his way through the tight spaces between the bodies.

Once concentered as best as he could get, Levi scanned over the heads of the sea of people. North of him was the front entrance to the theater where this event was held, with the bar to the east and the twelve-piece orchestra to the west. He made note of every window, every back exit, anything that could be used in an escape route. Craning his neck to really observe his surroundings, Levi found his squad scattered in their assigned places. There was Erd conducting the orchestra, and Petra posing as Auruo's date, sticking close together in the crowd.

Erwin Smith was keeping appearances as the most sought-after guest at this entire thing, having a drink at the bar, with Gunter pouring and serving from behind the counter. Even Major Hanji attended the event with the intent to convince those with money that _science_, and _research, _and _discovery_ were as important as the arts, and they should consider hosting a fundraiser for the pursuit of knowledge. It was a bit hard explaining the concept of molecular structures to the blissfully ignorant, and even harder to entice them into giving their money to fund these things that they didn't even wish to understand, so she was mostly there to serve as emergency medical aid if the need arose.

Places were set, all orchestrations were ready for action. Levi reviewed the steps to this plan in his head, glancing up every so often at the entrance. Auruo had said ten minutes, but it felt like an infinity. Then there was a chorus of whispers around him.

"The prima ballerina has arrived!"

"What a beauty that just showed up!"

"I can't believe she's an actual _Oriental!_"

Et cetera.

So that meant showtime.

He had issues with spotting Mikasa Ackerman at the entrance, due to all of the crowds hovering around her. Levi seemed to frequently forget that she was a celebrity of sorts. Although she was showered with applause and flowers when Levi saw her for the first time at the ballet, he never associated her with such highly acclaimed status. Maybe it was the way she danced outside the conformity of previous prima ballerinas, or her introverted reactions to these people. She was humble and normal, so it was easy for Levi to forget that these people worshiped her. They placed her so highly on a pedestal.

Levi had her on his own pedestal of sorts, and while it was somewhat speculative to assume they'd knock her off theirs, he was completely certain that she'd be knocked off of his. He would be the one to deliver the final push, and that was a guarantee. She'd shatter and he'd win.

But then Levi found himself the one to be shattering. With one look at her, he felt fracturing ribs and collapsing lungs. It was as if time were at a standstill, and he was in a stupor of rapacious envy, which, admittedly, prompted his craving for her in the most erotic way.

Mikasa Ackerman stood out in the multitude of the hordes so sorely, so perfectly. Levi knew she'd be a sight to behold, but he could have never expected exactly how much of a sight it'd be. He had always favored elegance over ostentation, taking a liking to modesty, of which Mikasa personified so superbly. Yet somehow, this girl managed to tame the fiery intensity of her red gown, embossing her presence onto the entire theater and all those who occupied it.

Her skin radiated like the moon, white and pure, with a stark contrast to the velvet red of her fabric. The dress hugged her physique tightly, with a strapless neckline that provided her chest with an unfair amount of lift. Her snug bodice extended into a floor-length skirt, tragically keeping such nice legs hidden away. Levi wanted to worship the lithe line of her neck, and taste the definition of her collar bones, and it was almost unfair how she managed to make untamed hair look so elegant. With shine and silkiness, her hair was pulled into a low bun, tied snugly to the area of the neck just below her ear, pieces of black wisps hung loosely, framing her lean jaw. She was so effortless, as casual as something so formal could get.

It wasn't much of a leap to call her beautiful, and although hesitant to use such a sentimental term, Levi would come to admit that she really was a beauty in his eyes. And such a beauty was headed right for him, pausing every so often to respond to the greetings of onlookers. She looked stiff in the presence of these people, almost hopelessly lost in their affections.

Levi knew it was time for the script to play its part in this mission. So to initiate the dialogue, he rudely pushed these herds of people out of his way, getting himself directly in Mikasa's line of sight. Despite how distressed her body language and how absent she held her eyes, she managed to bring enough of a feeling into her expression once she found Levi. It was a median between relieved to find a familiar face, yet fiercely confrontational because although familiar, it was still Levi.

"Miss Ackerman," Levi bowed like a gentleman, the intensity of his gaze unwavering. "I am such a fan. It would be such an honor if I could have this dance."

She smiled because she had no choice. The majority of the crowd's focus was on her, and it was a part of the plan for her to accept. "Of course."

And so Levi experienced a first. Holding someone so closely, so carefully, and on display for all to see—he could be considered a romance virgin, for lack of a better term. He knew how to flatter a woman long enough for the clothes to come off, but after that, he always let the body to take control. But here he was, a soft hand resting in his. Her arm lightly draped over his shoulder, and he could feel the pressure of her palm against the top of his spine. He let the fingers of his free hand grip the small of a perfect back, pushing her closer into him. Mikasa's entire front was against his own, and Levi really couldn't help but think about how there was only a few layers of fabric separating them.

Levi studied her face, noticing her lack of makeup. Aside from the dark pigment coating her thick eyelashes, her skin was dewy with the natural oils of an uncaked face. He liked it, because it just proved how authenticher beauty really was. With past women, he never paid much attention to facial features. He set his focus on the quality of a body, with no intention of involving the intimacy of adoring a face. But now he could understand the appeal. Mikasa's face interested him, leaving him to wonder why those lips never smiled, or why her dark eyes were so cautious.

"How long are we supposed to dance?" Mikasa sounded impatient, almost as if having Levi hold her was torturous. "If this is even a dance—we're just aimlessly swaying to atmospheric music."

He would not let her lack of enthusiasm get to him. Levi wasn't supposed to be so excited, he wasn't some lovesick child, yet his heart was quietly palpitating against hers. "Why are you in such a rush to go? As I recall," He was ready to bring it up. Although it was several days prior, he knew there would be a time to bring it up eventually. That time was while she had no choice but to remain in his arms. "I should be the upset one. You were the one who teased me along, all those days ago in your room—I had to finish the job myself."

She looked away, eyes searching for nothing in particular. Mikasa lowered her voice so that this conversation could be heard by only the two of them. "Don't act so pitiful, Captain. You found yourself some help, so I'd rather not hear it."

There was a thrill of gaining the higher ground. She knew about Petra, maybe not Petra specifically, but she knew of a woman. Which meant she knew Levi was capable of obtaining someone who wasn't Mikasa Ackerman. "What makes you think I wasn't alone?"

"You're scum," Mikasa was delicately honest in her insult. "And scum somehow manage to never go to bed alone."

"I'll let you know right now that there wasn't a bed involved at all," Levi wasn't smiling, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "It was more of an upright affair."

Mikasa squinted, and Levi could sense the jealousy deep within. "God, you are such a disgusting person. Who could ever find you so appealing? "

"Apparently, you could," He had her cornered, and it felt so good. "You know, with how you were so quick to pleasure me. By the way, did I ever tell you how _heavenly _your hand around my cock was?"

She winced at his rude language. Barely, but he still picked up on it. She was bothered by his dirtiness, that was for sure, but he'd soon find out if it made her hot. "That's a mistake never to be made twice."

Levi wasn't quite done with getting a rise out of her. There was still some limit to push. "To be fair, you're equally as promiscuous, if not exceedingly."

"You might be right," Mikasa sounded agreeable, a tone surprising to Levi. "And be sure to ask your commander about how promiscuous I can get."

If she was implying that Erwin Smith managed to have her—no, Levi had to remain calm. This wasn't about them, this was about the mission. He swallowed any disagreeable feeling, and replaced it with neutrality. "This dress looks amazing on you, Mikasa."

There was a sensation of oddity from saying her name, and she showed that there was an equal discomfort in hearing it. "Thank you."

"I'd think," Levi touched their noses together, and he loved it because he knew Mikasa couldn't pull away. Not in front of all of these people. "I'd think this dress," His hand grew audacious, deviating away from her back, and moving downward. Levi could taste the objection on her breath. But it was such a nice, _tight _ass. "I'd think this dress would more amazing off of you."

He liked the tension in her jaw. And he liked that she couldn't do a single thing about his touch. "Fuck _you._"

"I like a dirty mouth," Their lips were so close to touching. He could feel the sting of her electricity. "Kiss me."

Mikasa tried to jerk away, but Levi wasn't a weak man. He wasn't going to let her go anywhere. "We're done here."

Levi was _so _tempted to reveal a smile. He shook himself from his daze of lust, and released her like the gentleman he was. "I guess we are."

"I will get physical next time you touch me," In a louder voice for the crowds to eat up, in such an expertly flirtatious manner, she managed to simper with gracious goodbyes. "Thank you for such a lovely dance, and it was very nice to meet you. Enjoy the event."

Then she moved on, into the crowds to be held by other men. She went to go contribute her part to the mission. Levi watched her go, eyes never letting such a beautiful girl out of her sight. To himself, he exhaled once, losing her as she was consumed by the throngs of vapid faces ready to eat her whole.

"You'll get physical next time?" His voice wasn't even there. It was more of a mouthing of words under his breath. "I'll hold you to that, Ackerman."

* * *

It was the second of a three-phase operation.

Levi took his position at the bar, raising his glass of scotch to his mouth every so often to maintain appearances. He wasn't even consuming the alcohol, really. He just let less than a sip into his mouth at a time. While he did enjoy scotch on the rocks as the next man, this wasn't a time to get drunk. There was business to be done. So he waited, pretending his drink was excellent company, and made a point to follow Mikasa Ackerman in the crowd with his eyes. Levi was lusting after her, and he needed that to be very clear.

"Here," Gunter came over with a fresh glass with nothing but ice. He slid it over to Levi, who tried his best not to stare at the prosthetic where his eye once was. "Give me your drink."

There wasn't an argument to put up, so he merely extending his arm across the counter of the bar to relinquish his drink. Levi observed the bottle that Gunter pulled from the collection of liquors behind him. He pushed the new drink back to Levi."Why was that necessary?"

"Minor detail," Gunter shrugged, taking a moment to look over Levi's shoulder and into the crowd. "He'll notice that you've just been sipping after a while, so you can drink this like a real scotch, and it won't get you drunk."

It smelled like scotch, barely, but the burning stench of alcohol was obvious. Taking an experimental taste, Levi smacked his lips together. "It tastes like fruit. Bitter fruit."

"It's apple juice to keep the same color," He kept analyzing the crowd behind Levi, pausing between words every so often. "With a splash of the scotch to keep the smell."

Levi nodded, taking a full-sized sip. It wasn't exactly delicious, but it wasn't gag-inducing. "That really is a minor detail."

"I do have to keep an _eye_ out for that sort of thing," Gunter joked more to himself than Levi. At least he could make light of it, Levi supposed.

There was nothing left to do except sit and wait, and savor this unsavory drink. Levi traced a finger all around the glass rim, observing Mikasa in the arms of Erwin Smith, in the center of all the crowds. Somehow he managed to get a hold of her, and by the looks of it, he wasn't going to let go any time soon. Unfortunately, she looked as though she didn't want to be let go, either. Levi really wished his scotch was the real thing.

Erwin Smith was a large man—thick with muscle and _tall_. Levi was a strong man, and looked like it, but he'd be lucky if he could get an inch above Mikasa in height. But there was Erwin on the dance floor, with Mikasa's head nestled into his chest. He was the traditional image of a dominant man, with a size to back up any threat he'd want to give. Levi could feel spiders all over his skin when he realized that Erwin could have Mikasa bent over without a second word. Erwin could and would have Mikasa, it was just a matter of time.

Her body would be under his, so weak and helpless. Naked and frail, while Erwin would be fully clothed and so painfully in control of her. Mikasa would have that cock wedged far into her throat, and Erwin would be able to look down at her gagging, eyes watering—

Gunter yanked Levi from his raging imagination. "The target is approaching, with Petra."

With a quick shake to get his mind back in line, Levi kept drinking his piss-apple-scotch-bullshit. This was the most crucial part of this entire night, and the outcome of the mission relied solely on the legitimacy of his acting. So he rid his mind of all sexual images of Mikasa and Erwin, forced his erection to disappear, and applied a pattern to his breathing. Levi had flawless control over himself, a learned trait that he had suffered through a lot to earn, and there was hardly a twitch of a single muscle when he heard Petra's voice.

"—and the cravat he always wears?" She was laughing, giving the right amount of mockery and cattiness. Petra was playing the part perfectly. "He is such a joke, and I'm glad you managed to get me away from him."

"It was my pleasure, baby girl," The target spoke, a fat sack of elderly grease and perversion, taking a seat in a bar stool just a few away from Levi. "What a pathetic man. He hardly owns a dime, I don't know how he even managed to get into this event!"

They were laughing, and Levi assumed they were talking about Auruo. Petra was in the seat beside the target, obstructing Levi's view of the man. Neither one of them paid any mind to Levi, which was perfect. So perfect, every piece was falling into place.

"Tell you what," Petra dropped her voice, a seductive tone that Levi had just recently gotten to know. "Why don't we call it a night?" Levi could see her hand roam this disgusting man's thigh, committing to a level of boldness that got her point across. "Or not."

She leaned toward the man, probably flashing inches of generous cleavage, hand still kneading the right spot. "I'll come up with _plenty_ of things we can do instead of sleep."

Levi couldn't understand how she managed to degrade herself so easily to this man. Petra really was good. It was working so well. She had him hooked—the man didn't want to miss what she had to offer, so he'd wait around for her.

"Let's go," She stood up in order to lead him away. Then, in jerky movements that even had Levi convinced, Petra began to panic. "Oh no! _Shit—_"

There wasn't even a sliver of doubt coming from the man. "What is it, baby?"

"I think I lost my purse!" She looked around in search for her bag, briefly glancing at Levi. It wasn't even a full second of eye contact. "Maybe I left it in the restroom," Petra grabbed the man's arm, squeezing with the right amount of pressure. "I'm going to go check."

"I'll wait here for you," He offered, and she smiled. She had him right where Levi needed him. "Then I can escort you somewhere more private. How does that sound?"

One final line to deliver, then her contribution to the mission would have gone perfectly. "That sounds great."

Petra was gone, and little did the man go, she wouldn't be coming back. Levi needed the man to notice him. So he downed the last of his fake scotch, sliding it over to the bartender. Gunter didn't even look at him with an ounce of familiarity. He was just a man trying to earn some money, and he filled up Levi's glass with the same special concoction. Levi rewarded the supposed stranger with a modest tip.

The man was watching this transaction, then after a beat, he flagged down the bartender. "I'll have a vodka martini."

Levi wanted to gag. Such a disgusting drink—a beverage for the truly masochistic alcoholic. But Gunter delivered, not receiving as much as a dollar from the man. The man let out a chuckle, trying to make light. "Women, I tell ya. I'm going to be here a while, I might as well enjoy a drink!"

Gunter politely agreed, laughing along with the man. Levi put on his best front, something along the lines of jolly. "I couldn't agree with you more."

"Levi?" The man almost choked. Once filled with lustful bliss, he was punched in the gut with a fear that only Levi was ever capable of instilling. "I—I didn't expect to see you here. I—I saw Erwin Smith, but this event usually isn't your—"

A misleadingly warm smile. "I came here with a mission," He didn't want to put much focus on that sentence, so he kept moving along with his words. "Have you been behaving yourself, Mr. Gershwin?"

"I am," The forced nature of his casual inflection was near tangible. Levi wanted to hurt this man. "I've learned my mistakes of my previous business ventures. Now how about we cease the business talk and enjoy the night?"

Levi could feel the lies hanging in the air. So he straightened his back, dropping his voice deep into a shady octave. "I was actually hoping you'd still have a few trades going on—I'm actually in need of your services."

Mr. Gershwin wasn't so gullible, he wasn't about to confess so easily. Levi knew this. "A strapping young man such as yourself?"

"Well, _women _these days. There's so much catering and investing that goes into finding someone—all for some lousy pussy."

"Let's say I _theoretically _find you what you were looking for—what would be your preference?"

If that wasn't a flagrant green flag, Levi wouldn't know what was. Mr. Gershwin was slowly getting backed into a corner, and the best part was that he had no idea he was. "She's actually here tonight. My eye's been on her for quite some time, actually."

"It wouldn't be Mikasa Ackerman, the prima ballerina? I thought I saw her dancing with someone who looked like you."

"It's indeed Mikasa Ackerman. How much would she cost?"

Mr. Gershwin was just one final shove away from falling into the trap. Levi would derive pleasure in delivering such force. "You're serious?"

"If I may ask as a fellow gentleman, I'd rather keep this exchange under the table," Levi eyed Gunter, who busied himself to make it apparent that he wasn't eavesdropping. "If Erwin Smith found out..." He offered his hand to the filthy pig. "I think you understand what ramifications I'd be facing."

"I hear you, and I'd like to let you know that I could arrange this. How soon do you want her?"

"The sooner, the better."

"I'm warning you now—a beautiful young _Oriental_ with the current fame she has? She's going to be worth something rather ridiculous."

"A pretty penny for a pretty face," Levi adjusted his coat, taking the slightest glance at his watch. "Give me a number."

"Given her high demand, I'd charge her about fifty grand an hour. A hundred for the night."

"I'm more interested in owning her completely."

Mr. Gershwin let out a laugh, one obnoxious huff of a single syllable. "Are you sure you're worth investing that sort of cash into _sex_?"

Levi spotted black hair and a ruby dress in the distance. He knew he had a next line to deliver, but it came out more naturally than he had initially rehearsed. "She's going to be so much more than sex."

"Buying love, are we?" Another disgusting laugh. "Well, due to our history, I feel like I'll cut you a deal. I'll have my men acquire her before the night is over. You're not the first man to request her, but no one else could wrap their heads around her price."

"You still need to give me a number."

Mr. Gershwin let the dark business tone flood his voice. "Well into the millions, and nothing lower."

Levi finished the last of his drink, then stood up to flatten out his pants. "You have yourself a deal. I'll start networking a method of payment, and I expect her to be ready to leave when I am."

* * *

The humidity hung in the hair—rain was well on its way.

Levi smelled the dampness of the clouds and lost himself in time. The sky bled into a deep black as the night only got more intense. There was no noise, Levi was alone. His toes stretched over the edge of the roof, risking the fall into the alleyway at the base of the building, but he wasn't worried. Nothing worried Levi.

Not even the slight chance that Mikasa Ackerman may actually be legitimately hurt in this ordeal. Her orders were very simple: show up, look pretty, have a good time. It was Levi who chose to leave her out of the loop on the true role she played in this. In his own defense, it wasn't the easiest task to tell her that later that very same day, she'd be getting kidnapped by violent perverts, and that it was all Levi's doing.

And even then, he couldn't bring himself to think so deeply about this. This arrangement was a means to get to the end, and there was no time to hesitate. A mission was a mission, and it was one that sat a little closely to Levi's heart—if he even had one.

Commander Erwin took the justice Levi could have served to his father away, but capturing this sick and twisted man would be a sufficient consolation for the time being.

Levi looked down into the shadows below, knowing Mikasa Ackerman would emerge into the darkness at any moment. And the opening and closing of a door proved this.

She was alone, arms wrapped around herself to shield herself from the wind. Levi's orders went as far as telling her to just wait there and an escort would be there shortly to see her safely back to the castle. And while that technically wasn't a lie, she had one big event separating her from safety.

"Levi?" He heard her voice faintly and he watched her from above. It almost touched him that she called out his name, and even more when he detected the uneasiness in her voice. But Levi wasn't very easily touched and there was still a job to do.

"Who are you?"

Levi saw two men approach her. She didn't father in their presence, but he could see that she was hesitant to stand her ground. "You could call us big fans," One of them said.

The other, slightly older but not as slim as his partner, started getting closer to her. "You're coming with us, pretty girl."

"Don't come any closer," Levi watched her take an offensive position, it was almost like watching a show play out live before him. "Where do you think you're taking me?"

"It's true that anything can go to the highest bidder," The first one said. "And you're worth a lot more than what he bought you for."

"I didn't recall that I was for sale—"

And she could get anything else out before she was attacked. Levi analyzed her battle movements, because he could not intervene. He could do nothing more than spectate, like he had in the past with the titans.

But she wasn't nearly as skilled as she was in the arena. Maybe it was fatigue from such a long night, or her dress was a physical incapacitation—either way, her punches were less frequent, and her kicks were sloppy. There was a crack of a bone, and he watched as one of the men fell to the ground with a wail of agony. One down—Levi wondered how long it would take for her to defeat the other.

Then the cocking of a gun. And no matter how skilled she was, she was no match to a firearm.

Mikasa Ackerman was backed up against a wall, and then more footsteps came into range. Then a familiar voice. "Mikasa Ackerman, correct?"

"Hell no!" She was like a panicking animal caught in the wild, only an inch away from falling into an utter rampage. "Don't make me attack!"

"A little girl such as yourself?" Mr. Gershwin came into Levi's line of sight. He took one look at his downed man, then back at her. "You managed to hurt him? Your luck is impressive."

"I don't need fucking luck to have you dead on this ground!"

Levi's heart was pounding. She was not cool and poised, there was no strategy to her words. She was truly hysterical—and he was watching, waiting. Not acting. He couldn't help but wonder if his was what his father did to his mother—if he was watching the present-day circumstances of his very own conception.

"Hold her down—Don't worry, you pretty little whore," His hands reached for his own belt buckle, and he took one step at a time toward her. "We'll tell your new owner you're still a nice and tight virgin. Now hold still."

She wasn't struggling, it was as if she was waiting for it to happen. Levi could taste blood in his mouth—there was red in his vision. He needed brains sprayed against the brick of the alleyway, he needed his own heel crushing this monster into the gravel of the floor.

"If you scream, I won't be able to enjoy this as much."

Mikasa Ackerman was no longer in hysterics, she was almost like a dead body. Motionless, voiceless. Hands were all over her, forcibly holding her down to face her fate. Levi lifted his hand into the hair.

"Baby girl, if you're good, I'll let all these men have a turn with you."

And with that, he gave the signal.

Levi's faithful and skilled squad descended from other rooftops, circling the abomination going on below. Erd was already slashing his swords away at the men holding Mikasa Ackerman down, Gunter assisting him. Petra came in from behind, immediately grabbed the girl, wrapping her arms around Mikasa protectively, shielding her with her own body. And Auruo held Mr. Gershwin by the neck, leaving no room to negotiate.

Gravity overwhelmed his own body, the balls of his feet absorbing the impact of a fall that most men would not have been able to withstand. But Levi was graceful in every sense of the word, not necessarily on a Mikasa Ackerman level, but he was firmly on the ground of the alleyway. And his sight was set on the slaughtering of a certain pig who didn't know where to respectfully keep his manhood.

"Mr. Gershwin, you could not have even thought we'd let you keep your prostitution ring within these walls, could you?"

Despite Auruo's grip around the fat man's throat, he could still form words. Barely, but comprehensively. "Y-You tricked me, you _filthy bastard!_"

"Filthy, you say?" Levi made sure not even one of his own hairs was out of place. "It takes one to know one, I suppose."

Levi brought himself to glance in the direction of Mikasa Ackerman. Up close, she was scraped and dirty, eyes empty and chest heaving. He took off his own suit jacket and gave it to Petra to place around the girl. "I'm afraid we cannot finish this transaction here. I don't want to bloody up my good clothes,

after all."

"You're a p-piece of shit, Levi!"

He was unmoved. If by happenstance he was actually moved by such mean words, the movement would be glacial. "I have a _very _low tolerance for sex crimes, no matter the circumstance. It's quite unfortunate for you, really. Because I can barely stomach what I just witnessed."

There was a handgun by Levi's feet. It was only natural for him to pick it up and point it.

"N-No, please don't shoot! I'll do a-anything!"

"I've always wondered what kind of man it took to rape a woman—" Levi tossed away the gun, leaving the man to exhale in relief. "Then I realized a true man would never hurt _anyone _like that. You have no right to call yourself a man, do you?"

Mr. Gershwin was still fearing for his life. His hyperventilating was bordering on asthmatic. "I-I'm no man, just p-please spare me!"

"So you're no man?" Levi retrieved a simple pocket knife from the depths of his own pants pocket. "I'm glad you came to understand that, you disgusting little fuck."

In a swift motion, Levi pulled the man's pants down to his ankles. Levi allowed his own dark eyes to bore into the bug-eyed roundness of Mr. Gershwin's. "I guess you won't be needing your manhood, then."

He was screaming, like the little bitch Levi knew he was. "Please, no! P-Please! _I'm begging of you! _I d-don't deserve _this!_"

Levi immediately halted in his motions. "I understand your plight," Then before Mr. Gershwin could properly display full relief, Levi offered the knife to Mikasa Ackerman. "I'm not the one you were about to violate, so I don't deserve the satisfaction of this."

Mikasa took the knife, darkness radiating from her core. Her eyes were hollow and her hands were icily steady.

"Miss Ackerman does."

"T-The ballerina? She c-can't do it! I'm n-not about to be emasculated by a _bitch!_"

Mikasa Ackerman, with a power that was disturbingly refreshed, grabbed him by the jaw, fingernails digging into the stubble of his greasy face. The movement was lightning quick, and her voice was painfully pleasant. "You're not about to be emasculated by a bitch," She spit in his face. "You're about to be _mutilated _by one."

There was no hesitation on her part. None.

His screams were more unbearable than the sight of his castration. And Mikasa Ackerman didn't even blink.

"Get him to Hanji immediately," Levi finally said, once the man's shrieks and cries died down to a more tolerable decibel. "The last thing we need is for him to bleed out before Erwin has a word with him."

Levi faced Mikasa, who remained in one spot as the rest of the squad rushed around her. He didn't offer any sort of touch. She had already faced enough physical trauma for the night. "Are you okay?"

He watched her fingers reach around her neck for something that wasn't there, and in a makeshift attempt at something else, she buried her nose into the fabric of Levi's jacket. He couldn't understand what she was saying—_if _she was even saying anything.

There was only one thing he could comprehend, and it was something along the lines of a plea. A cry.

"_Eren_."

* * *

_I need to be less shitty about updates._

_Leave me a review because I froth at the mouth over them._


End file.
